AU2007202702B2 - Improvements in safety barriers for roof structures - Google Patents

Description

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1990 ORIGINAL COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention Title: IMPROVEMENTS IN SAFETY BARRIERS FOR ROOF STRUCTURES The following statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing known to me.

34~ JUN 00 -1- This invention relates to safety barriers. More particularly, although not exclusively, it discloses an improved edge barrier for roof structures.

SOccupational health and safety regulations require the fitting of safety lCb harriers to protect personnel working on elevated structures such as building Sroofs. Existing barriers typically comprise spaced apart stanchions or posts which are bolted to the top wall plate, extend up through the edge of the roof structure and carny horizontal rails. There are a number of disadvantages with these barriers. For example the position of the posts within the roof structure interferes with the completion of the roof structure. Also, personnel inevitably have to work at height without protection the during initial installation of the barrier, its subsequent dismantling and roof completion.

It is therefore an object of this invention to ameliorate the aforementioned disadvantages and accordingly a support member is disclosed for a roof safety barrier, said support member when in an upright position of use having an upper post section with fitting for guard rail means engagement and a lower bracket section which is curved to extend around and under an overhang of a roof for fastening to a structural member whereby the support I P' Australia I 3 JU 2C07 jmember is adapted to secure said guard rail means along an edge of said roof without said support member extending up through the structure thereof In another aspect the invention also discloses a safety barrier for a roof, said barrier including at least two substantially upright support members which are located at spaced apart locations along an edge of said roof, each support member having an upper post section with titting r guard rail means engagement and a lower bracket section which is curved to extend around and under an overhang of said roof for fastening to a structural member whereby the support members secure said rail means adjacent an edge of said roof without said support members extending up through the structure thereof Preferably the posts are adapted to support a plurality tiers of horizontal rails extending along said edge of the roof It is further preferred that said rail means engagement comprise slots with screw clamps.

3 U 2 07 It is further preferred that said lower bracket section of the support member comprises a curved bracket arm which is releasably connectable to the upper post section.

O It is further preferred that said bracket arm includes an angled flange at one 0 end for fastening toa truss or rafter of said roof, a socket at the other end for receiving the upper post and a hook means intermediate said ends for engaging over said truss or rafter.

It is further preferred that said support member is formled substantially i-fro Rectangular Hollow Section (RHS) galavanised steel.

The currently preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the attached representations in which:figure I is a perspective view of an assembled support member for a roof safety barrier according to this invention, figures 2 and 3 shows the support member of figure I when disassembled, figure 4 is a perspective view of part of a roof safety barrier using p Austrpi a 3 JU 2C07 the support member of figure I, tigure 5 is a perspective view of a corner assembly for the barrier of figure 3, figure 5 is a detailed view of the rail connector used with the corner assembly of figure 4, and figure 6 is a perspective view of a gate assembly for the barrier of figure 3.

Referring first to figures I and 2 the support member (indicated generally as I) may be formed substantially from galavanised steel RI-IS material and comprise a detachable post 2 and bracket arm 3. The upper post portion 2 is substantially straight and with this embodiment is preferably formed from x 30 x 2mm RHS with a length of about 1200 mm. There are steel straps welded to the side of the post and shaped to form slots 4 with screw clamps for holding horizontal safety rails as described later. These fittings are located at the top. bottom and intermediate positions on the post as shown.

The bracket arm 3 is preferably formed from 35 x 35 x 2mm RHS and comprises a curved end portion 6 which extends out at about 70 0 to the remaining straight portion 7. This portion 7 carries an L shaped flange 8 at its free end and an elongated hook 9 about halfwiay along its length. The post

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P Au.Strelia 1 3 JUj 207? ,_11 e 2 and bracket arm 3 slidably engage by means of the lower end I of the post sliding into the upper end II of the bracket arm.

To assemble the barrier as shown in figure 4 a series of bracket arms are first fitted to rafters 12 at spaced apart locations 2400 mm) along the underside of a roof overhang. With each arm the hook 9 is filled over the rafter adjacent the edge 13 of the overhang and the end flange 8 is positioned against the underside of said rafter inward of the hook 9. The positions of the bracket arms on the rafters is chosen so that the curved end segments 6 extend around and clear the outer edge of the roof overhang 13. The hook 9 and flange 8 are secured to the rafter using any suitable form of mechanical fastener such as wood screws.

The posts 2 are then fitted into the ends 11 of their respective bracket arms so that they extend up substantially vertically just outside the roof overhang with the slots 4 and screw clamps 5 facing outwardly. Three tiers of horizontal safety rails 14 are then fitted between the upright posts 2 so that the ends overlap one above the other in the slots 4 where they are secured by the screw clamps 1 3 JU 27 As shown in figure 5 each corner of the barrier is stitffened by an additional post 2 which connects to only the three tiers of intersecting rails by means of ec¢ said slots 4 and clamps 5. In addition corner connectors 15 are fitted 0 between each pair of intersecting rails. A detailed view of a corner connector 0 is shown in figure 6. It may comprise a pair of rectangular sleeves 16 which 0 are adapted to slide over the intersecting rails 14 as shown. They are held in position by screw clamps 18. The sleeves have tubes 19 welded adjacent their respective ends which are aligned by a pivot pin or bolt 20 extending therethrough. The rails can thus be securely held together at the corners of the barrier through a range of intersection angles.

As shown in figure 7 the similar connectors to those of figure 5 can also be used as pivot points to construct a gate for the barrier. They provide hinged mounting points for the swing bars 21 which extend across an access gap in the barrier. A further connector 15 can he used as a releasable tfstener between the free ends of the swing bars.

It will thus be appreciated that this invention at least in the form of the embodiment disclosed provides a novel and improved form of roof safety barrier. As the bracket support arms for the barrier can be fitted or removed 7 IP Astrplia i 3 JU;J2007 /I from underneath the roof structure the risk of falling injuries is reduced. Also the roof can be finished without first having to remove the safety barrier as the posts, rails and supporting brackets are located substantially outside the roof structure. Clearly however the example disclosed is only the currently preferred form of the invention and a wide variety of modifications may be made which would be apparent to a person skilled in the art. For example the shape, size and spacing of the bracket arms and the dimensions of the posts and rails may be changed as required by different roof designs. Also, while the post and bracket arm are preferably constructed from RHS of structural grade galvanised steel the invention extends to the use of any other suitable material.

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Claims (9)

1. A support member for a roof safety barrier, said support member when Cl in an upright position of use having an upper post section with fitting 1- for guard rail means engagement and a lower bracket section which is 0 curved to extend around and under an overhang of a roof for fastening Cl to a structural member the support member being adapted to secure said guard rail means along an edge of said roof without said support member extending up through the structure thereof wherein said lower bracket section includes an angled flange at or adjacent one end for fastening to said structural member, a socket at the other end for slidably receiving a lower end of said upper post section and a hook means intermediate said ends for further engagement with said structural member.

2. The support member as claimed in claim 1 wherein said fitting is adapted to secure tiers of horizontal guard rails.

3. The support member as claimed in claim I wherein said fitting includes one or more slots with screw clamps. -9- 00

4. A safety barrier for a roof, said barrier including at least two substantially upright support members which are located at spaced c< apart locations along an edge of said roof, each support member c having an upper post section with fitting for guard rail means engagement and a lower bracket section which is curved to extend c around and under an overhang of said roof for fastening to a structural member whereby the support members secure said guard rail means along an edge of said roof without said support members extending up through the structure thereof wherein said lower bracket section includes an angled flange at or adjacent one end for fastening to said structural member, a socket at the other end for slidably receiving a lower end of said upper post section and a hook means intermediate said ends for further engagement with said structural member.

The safety barrier as claimed in claim 4 wherein said guard rail means include tiers of horizontal guard rails. 00 0 C

6. The safety barrier as claimed in claim 5 wherein corners of said barrier have connectors fitted between pairs of intersecting guard rails, O said connectors including pairs of sleeves which are adapted to slide C over and clamp onto said intersecting guard rails and said sleeves t"- being pivotally connected by pin means.

7. The safety barrier as claimed in claim 5 wherein an access gate thereof has connectors fitted between intersecting swing bars and said guard rails, the connectors including pairs of sleeves which are adapted to slide over and clamp onto said intersecting swing bars and guard rails and said sleeves being pivotally connected by pin means.

8. A support member for a roof barrier, said support member being substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings.

9. A safety barrier for a roof said barrier being substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings. Dated this 9th day of September 2008 Gary John Chipperfield By His Patent Attorney MICHAEL ANDERSON-TAYLOR -1